1
a
: a story coming down from the past
especially
: one popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable
the legend of a lost continent
The history of the Lunar New Year originates with a legend thousands of years old. —Emily VanSchmus
… the Apache legend that these mountains are the home of the thunder gods. —Arizona State Parks
According to legend, Hercules founded the city in honor of his wife … —Ross E. Dunn
b
: a collection of such stories
a place in the legend of the frontier
c
: a popular myth of recent origin
the legend of the Loch Ness monster
d
: a person or thing that inspires legends
a baseball legend
was a legend in her own time [=during her own life]
At just 25 years old, Tupac Shakur was well on his way to becoming a hip-hop legend.—Lynsey Eidell
The roster includes legends such as James Brown, Prince, B.B. King, … Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson, and Whitney Houston.—Paul Grein
e
: the subject of a legend
a story that has become legend
… its violence was legend even in its own time.—William Broyles Jr.
2
a
: an inscription or title on an object (such as a coin)
The quarter bore the legend "In God We Trust."
b
: caption sense 2b
The legend identifies the various parts of the illustrated anatomy.
c
: an explanatory list of the symbols on a map or chart
The legend shows what the colors mean, with green being the best air quality and purple the worst.—Tatum Hunter
Cite this Entry
“Legend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legend. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
